ok this is going to sound dumb but what would be the best way to make a bobben rest or seand off for holding the bobben out of my way. just till I can afford one.
Charlaine,
A C Clamp and some coat hanger wire will do nicely.
I’m still using my ‘hiome made’ one, I used an old vise clamp, a piece of dowel that fit into it, and an old coat hanger bent into shape.
If you don’t have the old vise clamp, a plain old C Clamp or one of the plastic spring clamps will work, but it won’t swing easily. Just set it up to be straight BEHIND the eye of the hook about four to five inches, and that way the bobbin will be out of the way for almost all tying operations…
Good Luck!
Buddy
I wish I could send a pic here but I’ll try to do the job with words.
Take a piece of coat hanger wire and bend a 90 degree angle about 3 inches from one end.
When finished, his 3" section will ultimately be lashed to the BACK SIDE of your vise post with the end pointing up being with heavy thread over its full length so the extending horizontal section can swivel freely back around the post like a commercial bobbin holder.
Make a second in the wire at a point equal to the distance you want the rest to be away from your vise post. Make this bend go straight up forming a square “U” in the wire.
Determine how high you want your bobbin cradle to be and cut the wire there.
Make a little cradle from an easier to bend heavy paper clip and bind it in place with thread plus head cement.
Your new rig will now work and swing out of the way just as well as a commercial one and cost you nothing ! GOOD LUCK.
here is how i made one
with a 3/8 split collar plastic tubeing on the bolt to hold the bolt on the split collar
hope is makes sense
My Montana Mongoose came with a bobbin cradle, but 10 minutes, a pair of lineman pliers and a coat hanger, and this is what I came up with.
Cut the twisted hook off the hanger to start.
By wrapping the hanger around the vise stem several times (done quiet easily if you leave at least 5 or 6" on the short end, you get a spring effect.
Bend the tag end in to make a clamp like handle to losen and tighten the ‘spring’.
Then bend the the rest to your desired length out and height to your liking.
The cradle end was inspired by a dubbing twister as many will immediately notice.
The only drawback I found was that the hanger wire is soft and the pliers marred it up a bit leaving burs that can be a hazard to your thread, but some 230 grit sandpaper seems to smooth it out. Maybe a piece of vinyl tape on the cradle would be prudent?
This is about as cheap and easy as a bobbin cradle gets.
thank you all for the advice i love it and will photo mine when done
ok so hear it is used cork around the wire as to not mar the vinale coating and some bone beads to help as a bumper and electrical tape cover.
works well
Nice job Char!!!
“Excellent Smithers!” 8)
now you need to get rid of that stretched out spring for a good material spring
http://www.madriveroutfitters.com/pc-2808-329-material-spring.aspx
just join the 2 ends together without stretching the spring.
I just check one web site and found a Dyna King and HMH bobbin craddle both sells for about $30 and to my surprise the same site wanted $50 for a Renzetti travelers bobbin rest :eek:
I did find a Terra Tools one for $11 but the satisfaction of making one yourself must put a nice smile on your face. 
Theirs nothing like makeing your own tools. Since I began tying a few weeks ago or so I went from a vice that was an alagator clip with a tight rubber hairband on it to a set of vice grips holding an xacto handle to a read thompson model A. To this I have added the bobben holder with the thanks to bass_bug for the coathanger approch. and useing that approch I have also added a small waste bag.
I also made my own bobben out of spring steel from one of my crashed model airplanes( dont have the depth perception anymore) a coller grommet. shrink tube and a thin brass tube.
I think half of it is the fact that I dont like to wait when it comes to learning and do what I can to learn all the time. Tying is just that like many things its an always learning practice.
There are a lot of people out there with enough money to buy any kind of wiz bang tool around. Can’t say they they enjoy tying any more than someone who works at making it happen. Congrats on a new hobby and on achieving a sense of satisfaction on making your own devices.
Many people tied in years past with no vise what so ever. Life is what you make of it.
Norm, Mad River Outfitters is my ‘local’ fly shop. I used to drive by it to and from work everyday. Great ‘local’ shop, and a decent web selection as well.
Charlaine, Springs like Norm showed can be found at any Ace or similar hardware stores as well. Best thing to do, is take the vise into the store and find one long enough that wraps around the vise enough that the coils are just slightly open. It will save you from buying 3 or 4 that look ‘about’ right! That buck-fifty you save will buy a pack of marabou! 
The black clip on top just snaps onto the top of ‘most’ vises.
http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/special-fly-tying-tools/042044900007.aspx
the spring I have on my vice is not streched just big. but i thought being able to put stuff lower would be helpfull. i’ll go to durfies and get a better suited one later in the week.
If your spring is working for you don’t worry about it, I don’t have a spring or a bobbin rest, neither is necessary unless you want one.
a bobbin rest is one of those things that is on my to do list sometime in the future, I will probably try a spring somtime soon also.
Eric
and for thouse who wanted to see them
first is the bobben. craft brass tube claned and polished. flash removed and opening enlarged slightly. the hold and rim cleaned and polished as to avoid thread cutting.
the holder is spring steel from an rc control arm bent to shape with a bead on one end. a color used to hole it all togeather with shrink wrap to assist.
secound is the trash can. coar hanger bent around vice and formed into a squared u. the colar of a heavy freazer bag cut 4 inches larger then rolled over to size and folded for stranth and duct tape to hold. then trimed neat and placed over u.
the bobben holder see Bass_gugs post.
Way to go Charlaine! Tying flies with home made tools is like catching fish flies you tie yourself! The ultimate grand slam is catching a fish on a rod you made yourself, with a leader you tier or furled yourself, and a fly you tied yourself. (for the record I have not furled my own leaders…yet)
Eric, I dont use the bobbin cradle that much either. The spring or any type of material holder is one of those things that once you add it to your vise, you’ll wonder how you ever tied without it. Comes in very handy keeping stuff out of your way.
You forgot to mention the home made profile plate. 
That’s the white board in the background so that you can see the fly better.:idea:
yea need to finish that one